Our grandparents who slept in twin beds might have had the right idea. Sleeping in the same bed with another person isn’t always conducive to rest; but, it’s also a way to be close to the one you love. By addressing what disrupts your sleep and using these easy tips, you can both feel well rested in the morning.
How Sharing a Bed Disrupts Sleep
The main reason that sleeping in a bed with another person wrecks your sleep is that you each have different needs and preferences. You like reading before you fall asleep, while your partner wants lights out immediately.
Then there are the things that wake you up throughout the night: their tossing and turning, snoring, or even farting. Maybe they hog the blanket or kick you during the night. If you have kids, they may get used to sleeping in your bed, too, making the problem worse.
9 Tips for Sleeping Better Together
There’s no need to buy twin beds yet. Try these simple tips first and see if you can correct the problem while sharing one bed:
1. Communicate your needs. The solution to your sleeping woes may be as easy as talking about it. Your partner may not realize that falling asleep with the TV on doesn’t work for you. Discuss your individual needs and compromise accordingly.
2. Stick to your zone. Cuddling is nice, but once it’s time to sleep, stick to your sides of the bed. Being in contact with each other throughout the night only increases the chances that you’ll kick, bump, or otherwise wake each other.
3. Get your own blanket. If one of you is guilty of hogging the covers, use two. This is also a simple solution to different preferences in blankets.
4. Use masks and earplugs. Blocking out disruptive sounds or the light of your partner’s lamp is as simple as an inexpensive sleep mask or foam earplugs.
5. Reassess your mattress. A new mattress isn’t the cheapest option, but it can be worthwhile if it means you both get better sleep. You might need to upgrade from a full to a queen bed or ditch the squeaky box springs.
6. Don’t be afraid to go to bed alone. Some people are night owls, and others are not. You can’t really change that. If your partner prefers to stay up late, but you’re tired, go to bed. There is no rule that says couples have to sleep at the same time.
7. Do SleepMoves together. Pre-bed relaxation rituals are great for promoting good sleep. Do them together, so you’re both on the same page at bedtime. Try meditation or the couples SleepMoves exercise on the BetterSleep app.
8. Add sounds. You can also find a variety of soothing sounds on BetterSleep. Go through them together and create a mix or use white noise. This can be useful for blocking out sounds, like snoring or the creaking of the bed as one of you tosses and turns.
9. Correct your sleep disorders. If one or both of you has a sleep disorder, taking steps to fix it will help both of you. Your doctor can help you address underlying medical conditions or find solutions to insomnia.
Sleeping with your partner should bring you closer, not make you consider divorce. Address the problem sooner rather than later. It’s possible, and relatively simple, to sleep better together.
